NATO leaders meet with partners in Chicago

NATO Allies welcomed in Chicago leaders from partner countries from across the globe in different partnership meetings and thanked them for the contributions they make to the work of the Alliance.

NATO Heads of State and Government met with the leaders of a group of thirteen partner nations from around the world who have recently made particular political, operational and financial contributions to NATO-led operations.

The meeting was a unique opportunity to discuss the lessons learned from mutual cooperation and to exchange views on common security challenges.

“All our partners share NATO’s desire to build security, but they contribute to our work in many different ways,” Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said. “They take part in our operations. They give political support to our missions. And they provide financial support to our common causes.”

At the Alliance’s Summit in Lisbon in November 2010, Allies agreed that to work with other nations is vital for the Alliance’s security. And at the Summit in Chicago Allies thanked partners for their valuable support and their commitment.

“Our meeting showed how much we have already gained by working together in Afghanistan, in Kosovo, and protecting the people of Libya. And it showed how much more we can do,” the Secretary General said.

Leaders said they were ready to cooperate with partners in new areas, including cyber defence and energy security and to engage more in joint training and exercises.

“We are grateful to all our partners and today’s meeting was a step towards enhancing our unique partnership network,” the Secretary General said. “Because at a time when challenges know no borders, together we can act more effectively, with greater legitimacy, sharing both the security burdens and the benefits.”

During the meeting, Allies and partners reviewed lessons learned from shared operational experiences and exchanged views on how to develop common approaches. They also agreed to explore opportunities for capability development.

The meeting was attended by the leaders of Australia, Austria, Finland, Georgia, Japan, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Morocco, New Zealand, Qatar, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

At the Summit in Chicago NATO Heads of State and Government also reaffirmed the Alliance’s strong commitment to the Euro-Atlantic integration of the partners that aspire to join the Alliance in accordance with previous decisions taken at the Summits in Bucharest, Strasbourg-Kehl and Lisbon.

In a second meeting dedicated to partnerships, Alliance Foreign Ministers met with their counterparts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ¹. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow and demonstrated how strongly the four countries are linked to the Alliance.

“We share a common set of values, we serve side by side in NATO operations, and we work together on a daily basis to prepare your countries for future membership of our Alliance,” the Deputy Secretary General said.

The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the main Summit agenda issues and the key challenges facing Allies and Partners.

Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.